Drawing The Net
\by
Dr. J. Bennett Collins
Copyright 2012 Sermon & Song, Inc.
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Drawing The Net
The last commandment that the Lord Jesus gave before He went back to heaven was for us to go into the entire world and preach the Gospel. As an individual Christian our first duty is to bring glory to the name of God through genuine worship and living the consecrated life. As a member of the local church of which Jesus Christ is the head, it is our responsibility to do everything in our power and ability to spread the glorious message that Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
It is readily observed by all those who serve in the Lord's kingdom that the greatest failure of our churches today is the lack of every member becoming a witness of the great salvation with which we are saved. Though there have been many books written about soul-winning, and most of them very good, we feel that one more book on being a witness for Christ will do no harm and possibly help someone who has not yet realized his responsibility to present the Word with the proper approach to those who are lost.
Therefore, we humbly offer these thoughts with much prayer that this little booklet will be used of the Lord and that it will encourage many to become a witness for the Lord.
First and foremost, we must recognize that the Holy Spirit alone can bring conviction to a sinner. No manner of persuasion, method, or plan can win a soul. A lost person must be convicted and won by the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility to carry the message of salvation by using the Bible (God’s Word). The Holy Spirit then convinces them of sin, righteousness and judgment to come. If we do not carry the Word to them, they will not hear and therefore not be saved. Only in that sense can we be called “soul-winners.”
Preparation Of The Ground
Jeremiah 4:3: "For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns."
Hosea 10:12: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."
Self-preparation
Many years ago when I was just a lad, I heard a preacher use the subject plow up your fallow ground. I certainly do not remember all the points of the message, but I do remember his main point. The reason that we do not have more fruit from our service to Christ was because the ground of our hearts has become so hardened.
If you are genuinely interested in reaching others for Christ, then you must look first at your own heart and determine if you really care. Most Christians do care about their own family or even maybe their co-workers.
But how many of us have a burden for the lost around the world that will spend eternity in hell if they do not accept the Savior that we love? If you have become cold and indifferent toward the lost, then you must do one of two things.
First, you should sincerely confess the lack in your spiritual life and seek the Lord for a new burden for sinners. Or, second, you should put this book aside and stop reading it. Unless you have a genuine desire to see souls come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, no program or plan will cause you to become a true witness.
Motive
There are several reasons why a person with fallow ground would like to see it broken up. One of the reasons would be the desire to see the unattractive just look better. Another would be the pride in himself because he has accomplished a much-needed job. Or possibly, one would plow up this fallow ground with the desire to please his neighbor. Still another reason would be that the authorities demanded it.
It is sad to say that many Christians have involved themselves in a so-called soul-winning program simply because they wanted praise of men or felt obligated through the continual harassment of a pastor or Christian leader.
I could give you many examples, but one stands out in my mind very clearly. I was holding a series of meetings in a North Carolina town. There was a man and his wife who should have been in every meeting, praying, singing, and working at the altar. I knew them well and looked for them to appear every service. They were not out-of-town but no one knew why they were not attending the meetings.
On the last night as we were giving the invitation, there was a commotion in the back of the building which turned out to be this couple bounding in the door and loudly proclaiming that they had just won a soul to Christ. It seemed that every evening they were out looking for someone to make a profession so they could come before the crowd and brag on their accomplishment as soul-winners. Therefore, it is very important that your one motive in your witness is to be helpful and to snatch another poor lost sinner from the depths of hell.
Compassion
Romans 9:3: "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." The apostle Paul was so concerned with the spiritual condition of his people Israel that his compassion drove him to be more desirous that they be saved than that he should have the pleasure of God for himself.
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. The Scriptures also tell us in Psalm 126:6: "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Jesus knew this when He saved the woman at the well and told His disciples that He had meat to eat that they knew not of. If you really want to be an effective witness for Christ, then you must have the same spirit of compassion.
Training
Much of the preaching we hear today on soul-winning emphasizes the need to be a soul-winner and proceeds to criticize and shame those who are not active in soul-winning. Therefore much witnessing is done under duress. Unfortunately there is very little preaching or teaching on how to go about helping the person to understand and to accept salvation.
Many have been turned away from Christ as a result of someone who had a genuine desire to see them saved but approached them in such a manner that it turned them off and they refused to listen.
Therefore, it is important that you have some training in this matter of reaching souls for Jesus. Hopefully this manual can be of some help to those who have a desire to win souls but just do not know how to start or to give more detailed instruction to any who may need it.
Ground preparation
When the fallow ground in our hearts and lives has been taken care of, we need to consider what might be done to the fallow ground of the person we wish to receive the seed of the Word of God which we are about to plant.
We will have more to say about this later, but we need to realize right now that no one will ever be saved until that person recognizes he is a sinner. Since the Holy Spirit’s work is to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, the only way a person can be saved is through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to bring about this conviction. Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The only part any of us have in the preparation of the heart of the person is earnest prayer and presentation of the Word of God.
There is no doubt that person-to-person contact is the ideal way to be a witness of the glorious Gospel of Christ. Our modern day media equipment has opened up many other opportunities to be a witness.
It is wise to have an effective way to get out the Gospel. The use of Gospel tracts is inexpensive. In recent years there has been an increase in preaching the Gospel on the street or in the marketplace. Most newspapers will take paid ads. The telephone, the Internet and other forms of media are available. Among these and in other ways, I am sure you can find the method that fits your desire to get the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
Sowing The Seed
Romans10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Bible makes it very clear that salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the grace which is needed for salvation comes directly from God and thankfully it is available to all. The other necessary part of salvation is faith. That also is given to us by God through the hearing of His Word. In order for a lost person to hear the Word of God, there must be someone speaking or writing or in some other way getting the message of salvation to the lost.
God who is all powerful could easily proclaim His message of salvation without the help of man. However, God did not choose to do it in that manner. In the Church Age in which we live, He has chosen to allow us the privilege of getting His Word to a lost world. Instead of shying away from this responsibility, we should be extremely thankful to God for such a tremendous opportunity.
The average member of our churches seems content to say that it is preacher's job or that it is the deacon’s job, or let someone else who is more qualified than me do that. Because of the lack of compassion and concern many of our churches are filled with empty pews and regular humdrum services.
Before there can be fruit there must be sowing of the seed. Therefore, it is just as important to sow the seed of the Gospel as it is to reap the fruit of the Gospel.
Reasons For Witnessing
Unfortunately, some would-be soul-winners approach the job with the wrong motive. Either they are under pressure by some Christian leader to win so many per day or per month, or they are seeking recognition for themselves. One who sincerely wishes to see the lost saved will be sure to leave that person open for a witness at a later time.
It is very important that you never tell a person that he is saved. The last thing that you desire is for him to have his faith in your statement and not in the Word of God. Only God and the person who has made a profession know for sure whether he has been saved. Until you see a change in his life you have no right to tell him or anyone else that he has been saved.
The first and foremost reason for being a witness is that all Christians are commanded by God to carry the Gospel to the entire world.
If we fail to do that, we are in direct disobedience to the Word of God. Therefore, we have committed a sin of the same nature as the sin of Adam and Eve.
When Jesus gave the parable of the pounds in the Gospel of Luke, His command to His servants was "Occupy till I come.” The thought there is to increase the investment. God expects us to increase the investment that He has made in us by reaching someone else with the Gospel, and thereby the family of God is increased.
Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
The second reason for being a witness is that eternal hell awaits the sinner.
Psalm 9:17: "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
Christians need to get their doctrinal belief and daily practice in order. We would never allow anyone to deny the existence of an eternal hell in our presence. Yet we go day by day without the least concern that people are dying all around us and going to an eternal, burning, fiery, tormenting hell.
One of the incentives of the apostle Paul which caused him to be so successful in reaching out with the Gospel was his knowledge of the terror of God. II Corinthians 5:11: " Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."
If we came across someone burning in a flaming building, we would do everything in our power to get him out. Yet we go every day nonchalantly talking with people who will drop into hell when they die and never once warn them of the judgment to come.
We should all ask ourselves the question-how long has it been since we wept over a lost soul?
The third reason for witnessing is that the Christian life is the best life.
Luke 11:28: "But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."
John 15:11: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. “
Proverbs 13:15: "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard."
If there were no heaven or hell it would be much better to live a Christian life. Sin is a hard taskmaster. Satan has no love for you. Sin can give a person a momentary thrill or momentary happiness, but it never satisfies.
Therefore, if we want our loved ones and our neighbors to have the best life possible, we will do everything in our power to lead them to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let our mouth tell them this truth and let our actions prove it.
Another reason for witnessing is that the sinner will never see his saved loved ones after death.
Hell is described as a place of eternal darkness. Yes, there is fire there and fire as we know it gives off light. But do not underestimate God’s power to create fire that does not give off light. Matthew 22:13: "Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 25:30: "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." This fact alone should make us have an insatiable desire to see our loved ones saved. If we can be influential in getting them to become a Christian we will enjoy their fellowship forever in Heaven.
We should also witness because the next best thing to being saved is to lead someone to Christ.
We talk a lot about going to heaven and about the peace that we have in our heart along with all the other benefits of being a Christian. In spite of that, there is nothing more thrilling or satisfying to the Christian’s heart than to have the privilege to show someone God’s simple plan of salvation and see that person rejoice after accepting Christ.
Another reason for witnessing is the love of Christ.
Probably the most driving force that we can have in our witness for Christ is the fact that Christ loves us. One of the foremost incentives that drove the Apostle Paul to be a witness for Christ is the fact of the love of Christ.
II Corinthians 5:14: "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead."
You can rest assured it was not Paul's love for Christ that had such a powerful influence on him for we are sure he was no different than most of us. Without question, it was Christ’s love for Paul that was the main reason for his faithfulness. Christ did not love Paul any more than He loves us. Therefore, we should let His sacrificial love be a driving force in our lives to tell others about this great love.
Reaction To Your Witness
We will not be rewarded by how many souls we have won to Christ, but by how faithful we were to be a witness for Him. Here is a partial list of reactions you can expect.
Total indifference
You will find many people to whom you witness totally indifferent to your desire to see them saved. They may listen politely, but you can tell that their minds are not on what you are saying. This is a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is not dealing with them. They have not been convicted of sin and likely consider it a bother to talk to you.
In this case, your best procedure is to leave with them a tract or booklet and promise that you will be praying for them. They will not forget your effort and you will leave the door open for another chance to witness.
Vicious hostility
You can expect some people to whom you witness to be very hostile in their rejection. It is extremely important that you do not become upset and act in a way that is not Christian. I have heard personal workers say to such people, "If that is what you want, just go on to hell."
It is very unlikely that you would ever win a soul without having compassion for that person. If a person is hostile to the Gospel that should only make you more concerned that he does not die and go to hell.
The best you can do is express your sorrow that he feels the way he does, give him a tract and dismiss yourself. As you leave him you must realize that the rejection is of Jesus Christ and not of you. You have made a witness, and that is what the Lord expects you to do.
As I have already said, if you really want that person to be saved, you will be sure to leave that person open for a witness at a later time.
Trying to change the subject
There will be times when you turn to the Scriptures and begin drawing the net they will try to change the subject. They will do this most of the time by asking a Bible question. Do not ignore their question for they will immediately think that you are trying to force them. However, you must not allow the conversation to get away from their need of salvation for very long.
If their question is a simple one and can be answered quickly then do so. If it is a complicated question and would take a long time to answer you can very kindly say, "That is a very interesting question and I will be happy to answer it for you but for right now let's get back to where we were talking about your need to be saved."
Listening with respect
Fortunately there are still some people who are not God-haters and will listen with respect when you witness to them. You must show mutual respect to them and their time and not take advantage of their kindness. If after a few moments of giving them the Gospel story you detect they are not interested, you thank them for listening and never try to force conviction upon someone with whom the Holy Spirit is not working.
You should follow the example of the best soul-winners in the Bible. You will not find anywhere where Jesus tried to force belief upon anyone. When Agrippa told the Apostle Paul that he was almost persuaded, Paul did not continually badger him and try to get a profession. Here again, we must not try to do the work of the Holy Spirit.
Listening and ready to hear
When you have a genuine desire to reach people with the Gospel and you have prayed for them earnestly or for the Lord to lead you to a ready heart, you will eventually find someone with whom the Lord is working and is open to your witness.
As a general rule when you are talking with someone in his home, on the street, or at a chance meeting, it is better to engage in general conversation for a few moments to allow each of you to become better acquainted. However, you must be careful that you get down to the business of giving him the truth of the Gospel as soon as it is reasonably possible.
We have been told over and over again that the first question we should ask them is, "Would you go to heaven if you died right now?" or "Do you want to go to heaven when you die?" Though the use of these questions has led to many accepting Christ as their Savior, it is not the only way and many times not the best way. Everyone wants to go to heaven; but there is much more to salvation than just going to heaven. Here is where you rely upon the Holy Spirit to give you the right and proper approach in opening the conversation concerning their salvation. Many lost people have been turned away because the original approach has been so pointed and direct that it causes them to set up an immediate barrier.
As you spend a few moments of conversation and as you pray for the direction of the Holy Spirit, you will find the right words. Remember that a witness is not complete until you have confronted that person with the fact that without salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ he remains a poor lost person headed for the judgment of God.
At this point, some will ask you a Bible question, either because it is on their mind, or they wish to delay the conversation. Whatever might be the reason, you never ignore the question. As said previously, if you can answer the question quickly, then take the time to do it. If it is just a question to get you talking about something else or would take a long time to explain, you can very kindly say, "That is a good question and we will get to that later but right now it is very important that you see what God has to say about your soul in the Bible."
If you do not know the answer, do not be embarrassed to say, "I do not know but I will find out and answer it for you later. It is very important that you see what God has to say about your soul in the Bible.”
You should have a Bible or a New Testament with you so that when you realize the person is ready to listen you may ask the question, "Would you like for me to show you in the Bible how you can become a born-again Christian and be saved eternally”?
There is no one set system of Bible references which you must use. The Bible has many places where the plan of salvation is made plain. The more of these verses you know and are able to find quickly in the Bible, the better.
Later we will deal with verses to use when the person has already recognized himself to be a sinner and has come forward for salvation in a service. However, when you are talking with someone outside the church, he must be made aware by the Holy Spirit using the Bible to convince him that he is a lost sinner. Verses such as Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 3:3 are very good verses to begin with.
If you recognize that the person is under conviction and you are not in a convenient location where you can have his undivided attention, then you should find such a location as quickly as possible. Now it is time to open the Bible and proceed to give him God's plan of salvation. Later we will go into detail as to how to use key Scriptures.
However, at this point, if you do not recognize conviction and you are not knowingly urged by the Holy Spirit to continue, leave a tract or booklet on salvation with him and promise that you will be praying for him.
The Result Of Your Witnessing
In spite of the fact that you have been told that you must win at least one soul a day or you are backslidden or that if you do not reach so many people in a month you are a poor Christian, you need to realize that there are some who sow the seed and some who water and some who reap the harvest. I Corinthians 3:7: "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." Neither sowing, watering nor reaping is more important than the other.
You have fulfilled the great commission
With every witness you are fulfilling the great commandment given to the church by Jesus before He ascended. You are being obedient and the Bible says, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.”
At the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be rewarded for the quality of our service not for the quantity of it. Any Christian who faithfully uses the opportunities given to him whether he sees results or not, will be rewarded as greatly as one with greater opportunities and visible results.
You will have conquered your personal barriers
It is a very rare person who does not have some reservations when it comes to speaking with someone about religious matters. Timidity and fear of being rejected are two of the main reasons that the average Christian does not witness. These are barriers but we need to overcome them.
As a general rule, especially while you are learning to witness, it is better to visit and witness with another person, preferably one who has had some experience.
When you are rid of all that natural timidity and realize that it is not you that is being rejected, but that it is the Lord Jesus Christ and the message you bring, you will be pleased that the Lord has helped you overcome these barriers and can be a real part of reaching men with the Gospel.
The blood of the lost will not be on your hands
Another very positive result of your witnessing is the knowledge that you have done what you could to have the blood of a person removed from your hands.
Ezekiel 33:8-9: "When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."
As you well know, every lost person will stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. All the saints of God will also be at that Judgment with Christ on and around the throne. According to Matthew 7:2, many will argue that they should not be cast into hell. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to have a person which was about to be cast into hell point to you and say, "If you had told me about Jesus and His power to save, I might be standing where you are instead of here condemned to an eternal hell." I have no doubt that this will happen many times during the course of the Judgment.
The Holy Spirit will use God’s Word to bring conviction
When you use the Word in your witness you can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will see to it that the precious Word will not return void, but will accomplish that which God intended it to accomplish. Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
When you become a faithful witness for Christ, you will walk away from many people with a broken heart because they did not receive the message that means so much to you. However, you can rest assured that your witness is not in vain. The Holy Spirit will use the Word to bring conviction.
Some will be saved
Best of all results to a faithful witness for Christ is that eventually someone will either already be under conviction or come under conviction while you are talking with him and become a born-again Christian. The next best thing to being saved yourself is to see someone else come to the Lord as you give him God's simple plan of salvation.
Reasonable Methods Of Witnessing
Person-to-person
Probably the best method for reaching the lost is on a one-to-one basis. When you speak face to face with a person there is no doubt in his mind but what you are speaking to him. It makes your witness more personal and more meaningful.
It is usually best, especially when you are speaking to members of your own family, to witness to them when you are alone. You will have to make this happen most of the time by planning ahead. Give an invitation to eat together at a restaurant, take a walk together, go fishing or golfing together, or what other means the Holy Spirit might lead you to use.
Smaller groups
There will be times when you are together with a small group of people and in order to get the conversation turned toward Christ, you will actually need to move the conversation in that direction. As in every other aspect of reaching men with the Gospel you will need to be very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as to how and when to bring up the subject.
The neighborhood families
In every neighborhood there are those who need to know Christ. You will find your own neighbors to be the best contacts. Before you try to witness to your neighbors, unless they happen to have just moved in, you must prove yourself by living a consecrated Christian life before them. However, just living right before them is not sufficient. You must find the time to confront them with the message of salvation.
There are those who will mistakenly tell you that just living right before your neighbors will cause them to want to be saved. When the average unsaved person sees you walk out of the house every Sunday morning with your Bible under your arm, he will criticize you for wasting your time. If you want him to know why you really enjoy going to church and living the Christian life, you must tell him face to face.
Your own family
We have already briefly mentioned your responsibility to your own personal family, but will add this for your encouragement. You will find that the most difficult person to witness to is a member of your own family. That is not a failure on your part for we all face the same dilemma. We must let our love for them and a desire that they do not go to an eternal hell be a driving force for us to seek the Lord’s face for an opportunity to tell them the good news of salvation.
Many family members have been reached through the tears of one who loves them. You must be sure to show compassion, love, and forgiveness toward them in all of your associations.
Printed material
Another very effective way to reach men with the Gospel is the use of Gospel tracts or other printed material. Many times we miss a golden opportunity because we do not have a Gospel tract in our pockets at the right time. Tracts are available at your church or through the mail from other sources. It is extremely important that you read and check the content of the tracts that you distribute.
Unfortunately, many tracts that are written leave out a very important part of God’s redemption plan. That part is that men must repent before they can see the kingdom of God. Luke 13:3: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Repentance is to realize that you have sinned and are willing to immediately turn away from that sin. By the way, repentance is not works but a definite attitude toward your sin and God.
Telephone
In all history there has never been a time like the present when communication has been so widespread and so readily available. The telephone which you use every day can be a tremendous way for you to tell others about the Savior. We have met Christian workers who would take the telephone book and call numbers at random and give the Gospel message to anyone who would answer. That kind of witnessing must be done very discreetly. You must be very careful that you do not turn away more people that you draw.
Akbar Masih, a Pakistani with whom we have been working, came up with a very unique idea of his own. It seems that many Pakistanis have cell phones. He has a system where he links together more than 100 cell phones at the same time every morning and gives a devotion and prayer with the families on this list. This is done during the Muslim prayer time.
You can readily see that many opportunities are before us. Therefore, we should ask the Lord to show us the methods He would have us use in witnessing.
Wrong Methods Of Witnessing
Now let's talk about some of the methods that are being used which are not only unsuccessful but downright wrong.
High pressure salesmanship
It cannot be said too often that the Holy Spirit is the person who wins a soul, not the person who is doing the witnessing. Unfortunately, many personal workers have been trained by Christian leaders to approach the lost as if they were trying to sell them something. It has been said that a good salesman could sell an Eskimo a refrigerator. If that be the case then it would not be difficult for a personal worker who was skilled at salesmanship to over-persuade someone to make a profession of faith.
One of the reasons for this approach is the desire for numbers. It will be a happy day in your life when you realize that God keeps the records. The resounding argument to the above statements is that maybe they all do not get saved and but some will. I am thankful for anyone who comes to the Lord by any method whatever; however, there will be many people in hell who made a forced profession under high pressure salesmanship thinking right up until the last minute that they were going to heaven because they have prayed some sinner’s prayer.
The tragedy of the situation is that you do not leave them in a position where they will ever admit that they are a sinner.
As already stated, it is very important that you leave every person to whom you witness open to another witness to the Gospel.
Caustic and abusive language
When the Lord Jesus Christ was preaching on the earth, He used very straightforward statements and sometimes very caustic statements against the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. But you will not find Him speaking unkindly or without compassion to anyone that He was about to save.
You should never become so frustrated with your witnessing for Christ that you become angry and say such things as, “Well, just go to hell anyway." However deeply you would like to tell this person just where he is going, you must refrain from saying it in a caustic manner. It makes no difference how viciously he may speak to you or what names he may call you, you absolutely must keep a sweet spirit and a prayerful heart.
At the wrong time or wrong setting
Believe it or not, there are times when you should not witness. We will only name a couple and we are sure the Holy Spirit will lead you to recognize other situations.
When you wish to witness to a fellow worker you need to be extremely careful in doing so. If your witness would cause him to neglect his job for which he is being paid, you cause him to do wrong. Always remember the statement of Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., "It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right." There are not many work situations in which you cannot find some time during the day to witness to a fellow worker without hindering his job or yours.
There are occasions when it would be improper for you to interrupt someone with a Gospel witness. That would be true whenever it is obvious that their mind is totally given to someone or something else at the moment. If you will just be patient and ask the Lord for the proper opportunity, He will give it to you.
It is usually useless to try to witness for Christ to someone who is angry and using foul language as a result of being emotionally upset. A rebuke of foul language is certainly in order under certain circumstances, but it should be done with compassion or with a verse of Scripture.
I remember on one occasion I was working alongside a group of painters. Their language was horrible and I would have started a riot among subcontractors if I had told them to stop since I was a Christian. I prayed for guidance for I knew my heart would not stand that all day. The Lord reminded me that I could sing. So I started to sing every hymn and Gospel song I knew. I was afraid to stop until I ran out of songs. When I did stop, the conversation among the painters was about going to church and Sunday school.
When someone so viciously rejects your witness that he demands that you leave him alone and never speak to him again about Christ, you have very little choice but to pray and leave him in the hands of the Lord. You can hope and pray that sometime in the future he will realize your sincerity in your desire to see him saved and will come to you or someone else for help.
Drawing The Net
Before we begin the chapter on drawing them in the net, let me interject this note. Before you actually begin using the Scriptures with someone to whom you are witnessing, it is usually wise to determine if this person has ever made a profession of faith and if you need to proceed with salvation Scriptures. He may be backslidden and out of fellowship with God or perhaps he is saved and for some reason is doubting his salvation. We will have more to say about this later on.
The Necessity Of Holy Spirit Conviction
There is a vast difference between Holy Spirit conviction and emotional sorrow that you have been caught as a sinner. Many dear people have been brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of death or some other trauma in their life. It goes without saying that this is a good time to witness.
However, before you actually try to use the Scriptures to show some person how to be saved, you need to try to determine if that person is just emotionally upset or if he is really being dealt with by the Holy Spirit.
If you can determine that he is troubled about something else instead of about his sinful condition, then it is wise to leave a witness and look for a chance to talk with him later.
If a person is under distress because he has come to the end of the road and he is under conviction by the Holy Spirit, either he will ask you to show him how to be saved or you will know that is the case.
When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, on one occasion He told them to come and He would make them fishers of men. I am using that analogy to explain my expression “drawing the net.” When you try to get an unsaved person to pray the sinner's prayer and he is not under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, you are very likely to get a false profession.
Therefore, before you begin the final stages of leading someone to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ you need to be very observant as to whether or not he is under conviction. Since each person is different and shows his emotions in a different manner, you will definitely need the leadership of the Holy Spirit as to when to draw the net.
When you recognize conviction, you should then ask a question such as, "Would you like for me to take the Bible and show you how to become a born-again child of God?" Or simply, "Would you like to be saved right now?" If you get a positive answer, you should look around for a quiet place where you two can talk privately and not be disturbed.
Should you be working with a person who has come forward in a meeting and has already expressed his desire to be saved, you can go directly to the Scriptures.
Describing The Plan
I would like to break in right here and give you an example that may be helpful to you as to what Scripture to use.
In Bible School the teacher gave us a list of 64 Scriptures from the Bible that we were to use in winning someone to Christ. I well remember my first attempt at using this program. By the time I had gotten through 10 or 15 verses, the person with whom I was talking had become totally disinterested.
A few well-directed verses are usually sufficient. There is no one set of verses that must be used. Most soul-winning manuals will recommend that you use the Romans Road approach. It is a good set of verses and will often be all that is necessary.
Romans Road
Romans 3:23... all have sinned
Romans 3:10-18... no one is fit for heaven
Romans 6:23... sin brings death but Christ brings life
Romans 5:8... Jesus took our place on the cross
Romans 10:9... admit sin and believe in the heart
Romans 5:1... justified by faith
Romans 8:1... all condemnation removed
It would be good to learn how to explain each of these verses. To use them in the order listed is usually very successful. You will find that many times one or two or more of these verses would be very helpful in causing a convert to understand.
However, this is not the only approach to drawing the net when you are leading someone to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is necessary that you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the proper Scripture.
Isaiah 64:6 is effective in causing a person to admit that he is lost and cannot save himself. "But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." This verse not only tells us that we are lost, it tells us that we cannot save ourselves.
From here it is good to go to a verse that tells us who can save us and who is the only one who can save us. John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
At this point it may be good to ask the convert if they really believe that Jesus Christ can and will save him. When you get a positive answer to that you can say, "Now let's go look at a place in the Bible that tells you exactly what to do to be saved." I believe the most appropriate verse to do that is Romans 10:9. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
I have found it very effective to read one phrase of this verse at a time as the convert looks on and explain that particular phrase. “That if thou…" you will want the convert to see very clearly that this verse is referring very personally to him. When that is established you can go to the next phrase, which is "...shalt confess..." Explain that the word confess simply means to admit to God that you are a sinner and that you are willing to repent of your sins and turn to Him as your Savior.
Here it is good to get a positive answer from the question, "Do you admit that you are a sinner and have broken the law of God?” The next phrase will need some explanation. "...with thy mouth..." simply means that you are not ashamed to admit openly that you are saved.
The phrase "...the Lord Jesus..." means that you are willing for Jesus to be the Lord of your life and to obey Him to the best of your ability and to serve Him and right now surrender to Him as your Lord. "...and shalt believe in thine heart..." At this point you explain that it is not head belief or just believing that there is a Jesus but it is actually by faith believing that Jesus will do exactly what He says He will do in the Bible. You can insert here the verse that says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
"...that God hath raised him from the dead..." At this point you could ask the convert if he really believes that Jesus is God and that God actually raised Him from the dead.
By this time the answer is sure to be positive. "...thou shalt be saved." Read that phrase and give the convert a moment to reflect on it. If you do not get an immediate response you can go back over the verse with him, asking him if he is willing to confess with his mouth to the best of his ability and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Hopefully he will say, “I do.” Then you can ask, “And what did God say would happen to you?" If necessary point out the words in the Bible, "...thou shalt be saved" asking again can God lie? Will He really do what He promised? Did you mean business? Then what did God do? If the person truly trusted Christ, you will get the answer, "He saved me."
Your question is what about prayer. There is nothing wrong with having a person pray and ask the Lord to save him. However, neither prayer nor any other work can save. It is better to have him just trust the Lord without praying. After he has believed on the Lord and shown signs of relief and you feel good about him having accepted Christ, it is good to ask the convert if he would like to bow his head and thank the Lord for saving him.
If you feel that you would like to have the person pray for salvation, be sure that he realizes that it is not prayer that saves but that it is faith. A good place to have him pray is right after you finish reading Romans 10:9 and have given him a moment to reflect on what you have read. At that point, you can ask him would he liked to pray the sinner's prayer right then, "God have mercy on me a sinner." If the convert is hesitant to pray aloud you can offer him the opportunity to repeat the prayer after you. If he prays in his own words he is more apt to gain assurance of salvation sooner.
A different approach
Another approach you could use either before or after using the one above is to turn to the third chapter of John. Read verses one through eight and explain to the convert that Jesus made it very plain that salvation is being born spiritually. Then beginning with verse eight you can make the statement that Jesus would not tell Nicodemus to be born-again and then leave him in ignorance as to how to be born-again. Then explain how Jesus illustrates faith with the story of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
After reading John 3:14-15 you can ask the convert to imagine two different men in the camp of Israel that day. It had been announced that Moses would be carrying the brazen serpent on a pole throughout the camp and that whoever would look on the serpent would be healed from his snake bite.
Imagine one of them saying, "I am too sick to move and I do not believe that just looking at the snake is going to heal me." Because of his lack of faith in Moses’ word, he dies in his excruciating pain. Then picture the other man immediately seeking help to get to the tent door so he could look at the serpent and be healed. He believed the promise of Moses and was healed. The other man refused to believe and died.
We know that salvation is not by feeling. But we also know that there is recognition and a witness within us when we are made a new creature in Christ Jesus. Therefore, if one to whom you are witnessing expresses that he does not feel like he is saved, you can usually know that he has not put his faith in the finished work of Christ and the Word of God which expresses the great salvation truth.
Therefore, sometimes it helps to give an illustration of what faith is. One of my favorites is the illustration of a man looking at a bridge which spans a roaring river or a treacherous gorge. He can have a great desire to get to the other side and believe that there is a bridge that reaches the other side. He can believe that the bridge is long enough and that the bridge is strong enough. But if he does not step on that bridge and trust his full weight to it, he will remain on this side of the gorge.
There will be times when you have gone through all the Scriptures with a convert and even after he has prayed for salvation, he will show no signs of assurance and sometimes say, "But I don't feel it." You could explain again that salvation is not feeling but by faith. If you have to have God prove His truth to you by giving you a feeling, then you have not trusted Him by faith.
Here is another very impressive illustration of what faith is. Have the convert imagine with you that you are in a room together and he reveals to you that he is afraid of the dark and becomes claustrophobic. Suddenly the lights go out.
You quickly assure him that you will be right there and stay with him until the lights come on. He very quickly grabs you by the arm and says, “Please do not leave me.” Explain to him that even though he feels you, he still has not trusted you. He did not believe it when you said you would stay there.
Backsliders
When a person readily admits that he does know Christ as his Savior and has been born-again but had drifted back into sin you should go immediately to I John 1. Read to him or have him read verse 3 through verse 9.
Explain that a person can lose fellowship with Christ but not lose his salvation. Verse 9 gives the way back to fellowship. I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
You may need to explain that the word “confess” not only means to admit to sin but to turn from it genuinely, meaning that you will never do it again.
Getting back into fellowship with God comes by faith just as salvation comes by faith. A person can pray for forgiveness of sin and weep profusely and yet not believe the promise of I John 1:9. Therefore, you need to emphasize that God will not lie but will restore the sweet fellowship he once knew if he will only believe it. Jesus paid for all sin on the cross. He only wants the sinner to confess, admit and turn from sin.
If a person says that he is a backslider but that he believes he must get saved over again, do not argue the point. Let him go through the plan of salvation with you. It will not harm him and should he have made a false profession, this should clear up all doubt that he is right with God. He can be taught the security of the believer later by reading Scriptures that you suggest to him.
Lack Of Assurance
If you have the opportunity to do very much personal work you will quite often run into someone who has been saved and reached a place where he doubts his salvation. Usually a verse or two such as John 5:24, John 1:12, or even John 3:16 emphasizing everlasting life will give him assurance.
When the lack of assurance becomes chronic, you must use good judgment to determine if a person has a physical problem such as mental depression, cancer, or some other serious physical condition. In that case do not become so hyper-spiritual yourself that you refrain from advising him to see a physician. Personally, I always ask such a person to see some good general practitioner who is a Christian rather than a psychologist or psychiatrist.
A person with this problem is a very miserable person and needs all the tender care and compassion that you can possibly give. Never turn him away or act disinterested in his spiritual condition.
Sometimes a good illustration will help him latch on to assurance. I understand that this is a true story. A godly pastor in his old age was having problems with doubting his salvation. Satan will take advantage of any physical weakness. When he was troubled he would call his wife to his bedside and ask her to pray for him and he would express his doubt. She would remind him of all the sermons he had preached and all the people he had led to the Lord. His answer would be, “Yes, but those things do not save.”
One day she read to him John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." She emphasized "...hath everlasting life."
He laid back in peace and said, “That is what I needed; God says that I am saved” and dropped off to sleep. Later she heard a noise in the bedroom and ran to see if he had tried to get up and fallen. When she opened the door she saw him with half his body out of bed and arms reaching under the bed. She excitedly ran to help and he assured her he was fine.
When she asked him what happened, he said, “After you left I was awakened by a terrible troublesome feeling of doubt. I remembered John 5:24 and immediately had assurance. Then I realized it was Satan who was bothering me and that Satan loves darkness. The darkest place in this room is under the bed and I opened my Bible to John 5:24 and was showing it to Satan to prove to him I was saved.”
A very good Scripture to help give assurance is John 1:12: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
Did you receive Him?
Did you believe Him?
Then what did He say He would do?
Make you a son of God.
Did He?
Lack Of Feeling Insisted
When a convert continues to insist that he meant his prayer and repentance but still does not feel anything, as a last resort you can get him to admit that God cannot lie. Then ask him if he is willing to trust God to keep His word of the promise of salvation even if he never feels it. I have seen this spark faith in a convert’s heart and immediately see that it is faith that saves.
Follow Up
Remember that your responsibility to this individual does not end here. The Scripture makes it plain that we are not only to reach men with the Gospel but we are to disciple them so that they may tell others.
Mark 16:15: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Matthew 28:20: "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
It may not be possible for you to follow up every individual with whom you deal. But you must make every effort to see that they have the very best chance possible to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever possible, obtain his name and address so you can follow up by writing or by passing the name to a good, solid, fundamental pastor who will do the follow-up work. There are several good follow-up pamphlets. You could leave one with him or promise to send one right away.
Pointers
Always take your time
There is nothing more important than the person with whom you are dealing becoming a genuine Christian. In the case of an interruption either with you or him, make arrangements for a future meeting.
Reread if necessary
When using the Scriptures, do your best to make sure that he understands what the Scripture says. If you recognize that he is somewhat foggy about it read it again and even again. You may want to ask him to read the Scripture aloud to you.
Be sure a person is serious
Try to determine if a person is serious about wanting to be saved before you proceed with the plan of salvation. You may need to ask right out, "Do you really want to be saved?" If for any reason you determine that he is not serious or just trying to be polite or even just trying to get rid of you in a nice way, it is useless and unprofitable for you to proceed. Leave a witness and promise to pray for him.
Never force a positive answer
However much you would like to see this person saved, you can do much harm to him by trying to force him to pray the sinner’s prayer.
No clear-cut response
If at any time during your conversation you do not get a clear-cut response, do not continue but back up and start over again with the same verse of Scripture and your explanation or illustration of it.
Look for signs of reality
You may feel led of the Holy Spirit at any time to break away and express how important it is for this person to know Christ as Savior. This is probably the only time that your personal testimony could really be effective.
Confess with his mouth
After he has made a profession encourage him to tell someone right away. If possible take him to another Christian and encourage him to tell what Christ has done for him or what has just happened to him.
Give brief instructions on the Christian life
Feasting On The Fruit
The next best thing to being saved is to have the privilege to lead someone else to the Lord Jesus Christ. You will remember that after the Lord Jesus led the woman at the well to Himself in salvation, He told His disciples, "...I have meat to eat that ye know not of." (John 4:32) We all enjoy eating very much but winning someone to Christ can take your appetite and give you a much more satisfying feeling.
I have been careful not to fill this book with my own personal experiences. However, right here, I believe this feasting time in my life can be an encouragement to you. I was having Sunday dinner with a family after the morning service. As we sat down at the food- filled table I noticed a vacant chair to my left. I asked the host who was missing. He told me that one of his sons would be there shortly and that he was the only member of the family that had not yet been saved.
Before I was asked to pray, the young man came in and sat down. I was introduced to him and then proceeded to pray over the meal. During the prayer I asked the Lord to bring conviction to anyone in this family that was not saved. When I lifted my head I noticed that the young man was weeping.
I turned to him asking if he knew the Lord as his Savior. When he acknowledged that he did not, I asked him if he would like to be saved right then. He said, "Yes, I would, Preacher."
We then slipped out of our chairs and knelt together as I explained to him how to be saved. He accepted Christ and gave immediate testimony that the Lord had saved him. Every member of the family around the table made their way to him weeping and rejoicing, hugging and kissing as they rejoiced in the Lord.
When finally I said my good-byes and left the house there had not been one morsel of food eaten. I do not know how long it stayed that way but I know that that family and myself were so spiritually satisfied that we did not desire food.
There is no greater joy than the joy received when you have just been used of God to lead someone to Christ.
One Final Emphasis
We are sure that as you read the book you noticed that we deliberately did not include fancy argumentative clichés to use when you were asked certain questions. Most books will give you the exact words to say in most situations.
We chose not to do that because we wanted to emphasize the fact that you must be under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and guided by His wisdom in your answer to any problem that might arise.
Furthermore, most of the rote answers that are given are for argumentative sake. You have heard the well-documented statement, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." If you back a person into a corner and give him no way to reject your witness he will most likely make a false profession just to get rid of you. With such an approach, your chance of ever being an effective witness to him again is very slim.
Likewise, we have not included special approaches to those who were involved in the cults. You can easily find those in great detail in other books. My suggestion is that when you come across a Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Muslim, or other false religion, do not try to argue doctrine with him.
Just stick to the simple plan of salvation and his need to have peace in his heart that can only come by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. Only the Holy Spirit can give conviction from the Word of God. Your pre-prepared, non-answerable arguments are apt to allow you to win the argument and lose the soul.
The Holy Spirit is the soul Winner. You are only an instrument that God has given the privilege to help the lost person understand God's wonderful Plan of salvation.
My prayer: "May God give many souls!”
John 4:35-38
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”
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Please check out the other books by Dr. Collins in Smashwords. Your honest review of this study would be deeply appreciated, May God bless your service for Him.
Dr. Collins has daily programs on 50 or more radio stations. These programs are available on the web site www.sermonsongministries.org as well as free downloadable sermons.